Eating Back Calories

xAmeenahx

I was wondering if any of you eat the calories back that you burned while exercising. Are there any benefits in doing so or not?

2011rocket3touring

Most people here eat back 50%. I usually end up closer to 100% (not on purpose, I like food). It also depends on how your tracking exercise calories, some methods are highly unreliable. I'm using Apple Watch which has been pretty good (since I'm losing weight).

dcresider

If I lift, I don't eat back my calories. If I do over 45 minutes of cardio a day, I'll half to 75% back.

socajam

I do calorie cycling - do not eat back my calories - this works better for me, especially the high calorie days like today - 2100 calories.

WBB55

I guess I do, on average. Mainly, I try to eat 250-500 calories less than my fitbit says my total daily burn was, so that means I do eat all of my exercise calories (though, I tend to average over a whole week, so exercise today might be eaten in a couple days instead of today).

bscmcse

In the past 60 days, I have started to think about food differently and as a result don't seem to have as strong urges to eat certain things at certain times. I have also asked questions privately of some on this site who have lost a significant amount of weight and been able to maintain at their goal. One told me that as they were loosing, they did not eat back any calories from exercise ("but I could see why you would though"). From that point until today, I have not eaten back any calories from exercise. I rationalize it as my tracking may be off, maybe I'll need to bank them, or I just want to loose weight and get closer to my goal. I also find that I don't need to eat as much. I can't say what is right for you, but for now, for me I'm leaving those calories alone.

carolerunsalot

I do if I am hungry. I usually keep it at about 50-75% though.

srecupid

I will if I'm still hungry at the end of the day but,jf j have say 400 exercise calories and I just need something to tide me over to bed at at 1130 I'll only eat something with 100 calories high in fiber

SezxyStef

yes I do until I have netted at least 1200 and no longer hungry.

If I am at net 1186 and not hungry I leave it at that

but

If I am at 1300 net and hungry I will eat up to 1500...(that's my goal)

xAmeenahx

Thank you all for your input!